Muggers threw Hull man in River Humber for being gay

A MAN was pushed in the River Humber by two muggers in a homophobic attack, Hull Crown Court heard. Serial offenders Kallum Crosby and Jamie Norris followed their victim as he walked home alone from Fuel bar to Victoria Pier, where they pushed him in.

The pair later boasted about the attack to a worker in a takeaway, telling her they did it because he was gay. Their victim was trapped in thick mud, but managed to call 999 from his mobile phone and was freed.

Judge Mark Bury told the pair they could have killed him.

In a statement read at Hull Crown Court, the man said: "I have suffered sleepless nights. The next day I was still in shock at what might have happened.

"I cannot stop thinking, what if? What if they had taken the telephone? I have suffered from sickness and for the first time in five years, I have had to take time off work."

The pair stopped him close to Victoria Pier with Crosby, 20, telling him: "You are going nowhere."

Norris, 22, rifled through their victim's pockets while Crosby shouted a series of insults about his sexuality.

The man was knocked to the ground, but when he stumbled to his feet he was put into a "bear hug" and was pushed on his back into the river.

The court heard the Humber is one of most dangerous tidal estuaries in the world, with people who fall in expected to die within ten minutes. When the attack happened on January 7, it was 7C and he could have contracted hypothermia.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said: "He could not move his feet and was covered in thick mud. It was dark and he was alone and he did not know where he was.

"He saw both of the defendants were laughing at his predicament. He called police and the emergency services were fortunate in being able to find him in the dark and extract him from the mud."

The victim was treated for cuts and bruises at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Crosby, who had been released from prison the day before, and Norris then went to a takeaway in the Old Town.

Mr Standfast said: "Crosby told a woman behind the counter they had just pushed a man in the river because he was gay.

"The assistant at first thought they were joking, but saw they had mud on their clothing. They said they had left him in the river and did not know if he had drowned.

"Crosby said they weren't bothered. The woman asked him his name and he told her and said he had just been released from prison."

Crosby, of Thurston Close, Bransholme, and Norris, of Terry Street in west Hull, both admitted attempted robbery.

Crosby's barrister Chris Dunn said the man was lucky to survive.

"This is one of those cases that make you shudder when you think of the catastrophic consequences that could have followed for this sort of behaviour," he said.

"This could easily have been a homicide, fortunately the man had his phone. While I accept the incident may haunt the complainant, there were not bad physical injuries.

"That was luck rather than judgment."

Father-of-two Norris' barrister Charlotte Baines said he "feels terrible" about the attack.

Judge Bury, who sentenced Crosby to four and a half years and Norris to three years nine months in jail, told the two offenders: "If the tide had been in he would have been underwater. You could see the situation he was in, but you both ran off laughing. You made no effort to help him.

"You could easily be facing a homicide charge. He was targeted because of his sexuality."

Andy Train, the chairman of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Forum in Hull and East Yorkshire, and one of the team behind Pride in Hull, says he is appalled these sorts of crimes are still happening.

He said: "It is sickening and appalling what has happened to this man.

"There is no room for their sickening attitudes in our modern society.

"Unfortunately, this isn't a rare case – I have a friend who is a transgender woman in Hull who reports regularly on her Facebook page about the abuse she receives."

33 comments

"Prosecutor Philip Standfast said: "He could not move his feet" Is this a deliberate pun? He was standing fast alright! Also love that one of these ******s is called Kallum - with a K. He's also known by another name - with or without a K

They are lenient sentences.......... though considering the record of the judicial system its amazing they did not get off, with a slapped wrist. So a step in the right direction for these wonderful looking great examples of humanity.
Mike Hall71.....The comments against Colininglis will be because he is and it is Colin inglis

Bewildered you will never convince those calling for the same or worse treatment than that dished out by the thugs is wrong.
As for the charge. I see the problem as thus.
If you charge them with attempted murder, you run the risk of the jury saying they didn't mean to kill so what are you left with.
As for manslaughter, surely that is an offence of causing a death you didn't mean to happen that's why it is not murder.
So you can't prosecute some one for attempting to cause a death they didn't mean to or have I missed something. Pete Allen